The European patent EP 1 914 181 B1 discloses an apparatus for changing the distance between discrete objects or containers, which are transported in succession. The downstream processing unit provided receives the objects with a predefined final distance. In order to reach the predefined final distance an infeed worm is provided for feeding with a variable distance between the initial distance and an intermediary distance between the objects. The infeed worm comprises a groove so that the distance between the individual objects increases downstream. Between the infeed worm and the downstream processing unit a distance changing wheel is provided which achieves the required final distance of the containers, in order to eventually pass on the containers to the downstream processing unit at this final distance.
The German utility model DE 20 2006 015 775 U1 discloses a processing machine for containers like bottles, vessels, plastic containers and the like. The processing machine comprises transfer star wheels which load a processing rotor. The transfer star wheels and the processing rotor each exhibit hold positions for the containers at the outer circumference. The containers are transferred to the rotor of the infeed star wheel at a required distance by an infeed worm. The containers reach the infeed worm via a conveyor belt.
The German patent application DE 31 49 307 discloses an infeed worm for objects to be transported in series, in particular bottles in a labeling machine. The intake section of the infeed worm consists of elastic material and has a pitch corresponding to the bottle diameter so that after lifting an upstream bottle barrier the bottles are received in a cushioned way by the first windings of the infeed worm. In the case of a gapless sequence of bottles in the infeed worm the bottles support each other in the intake section. Therein the pressure is absorbed by the first winding of the acceleration section, which consists of rigid material.